Like most young people in the summer, Regina-Lumsden-Lake Centre MP Tom Lukiwski has come home after school, or in his case a session of Parliament, only to find out spending two months basking in the rays at the lake is not to be and a summer job is waiting.

“The summertime is probably as busy a time as (Members of Parliament) have during the year,” said Lukiwski, who holds the position of Parliamentary Secretary to the Government House Leader. “Many people who have not had the opportunity to meet with me while I’m in Ottawa have that opportunity now that I’m back in Saskatchewan. My calendar has been extremely busy so far and it will continue to be through the course of the summer.

“There are more events like barbecues and centennial celebrations, but also a lot of individual meetings with constituents and organizations.”

Lukiwski said his and the government’s focus at the time being is on reducing the size of the deficit, which means reducing the size of government among other things. He said after the global recession of 2008, the government was forced to bring in a stimulus package costing about $15 billion and that needs a trim.

As a result of this, the government was forced to end its involvement with managing community pastures, a topic near and dear to rural Saskatchewan’s hearts.  All 62 pastures in the province, which are used as grassland for cattle by area farmers and are rich in resources and endangered wildlife, will be discontinued under federal management by Agri- and Agri-Food Canada as of 2018.

Lukiwiski said he believes the community pastures are not going to be eliminated entirely just because the feds have drawn back their involvement with them. He said that hopefully someone or something else steps in to keep them going, but it was a necessary decision in order to keep up with the government’s priorities.

To read more please see the July 16 print edition of The Davidson Leader.